Outagamie County Committee Slows Sale of UWO-Fox Cities

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI- (WISS) – The Outagamie County Property Committee put a hold on the sale of the UWO-Fox Cities campus following a closed session Tuesday night. 

The Property Committee requested three separate appraisals of the 43-acre property at UWO-Fox Cities to fully understand its value. This decision comes as the Menasha Joint School District wishes to purchase the campus site and turn it into a child care center for the Menasha area.

County Executive Tom Nelson is an Outagamie/Winnebago County Committee member deciding what to do with the campus slated to close on June 30, 2025. He says the original goal was to transfer the property from one public entity to another.

“However, there are concerns that that might – that might not be the best choice – The best option,” said Nelson. “And so what we’re simply doing is we’re pausing.”

The sale of the campus to the Menasha Joint School District must be approved by both the Outagamie County and the Winnebago County Boards. Outagamie will revisit the topic at a future meeting. The sale is on the agenda for the Winnebago County Board meeting on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

Meanwhile, Menasha Joint School District Superintendent Matt Zimmerman received criticism of the plan at the school board meeting earlier this week, with many calling out the recent closure of Jefferson Elementary due to budget shortfalls.